Perhaps Miami Heat rookie Kel’el Ware was just trying to get some cool points with his future teammate.
Ware, who the Heat drafted with the No. 15 pick out of Indiana, was recently asked by Bally Sports to give his Mount Rushmore of the NBA. In other words, the top four players in league history.
He chose Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, who are both in the Hall of Fame. The last two were a little more questionable. He ended the group with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Heat teammate Bam Adebayo.
While Edwards and Adebayo are top-tier talents in the league right now, not many would consider them among the best four players of all-time. At least not right now.
But credit Ware for supporting Adebayo, who has improved each season. He is coming off making his third All-Star appearance. Pairing him with Ware could even make him a better player.
The Heat drafted the 7-foot Ware with the intention of moving Adebayo from center to power forward so he could flourish more as a perimeter as a scorer.
Ware is coming off a breakout sophomore season at Indiana, where he earned All-Big Ten second-team honors and made the Big Ten All-Defensive team.
Kel’el Ware (@KelelWare) names his NBA Mount Rushmore on ‘Miami Mic’d Up’ with @jeremytache:
• Wilt Chamberlain
• Kobe Bryant
• Anthony Edwards
• Bam Adebayo (@Bam1of1)Gotta love rookies… 😂
Full podcast 🎧 https://t.co/jKUZGw12Vk pic.twitter.com/VSMbk9jSWY
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) July 3, 2024
“I’ll be able to fit well in with the Heat,” Ware said. “Just being at that five position to help Bam out, with him potentially going to the four. Just being able to space the floor out, everything will be much easier for the whole team.”